Riccarton, New Zealand

Okay, so I'm here in Riccarton, just west of Christchurch city center, separated by Hagley Park. It’s interesting to think about the history here. The first European settlers on the plains actually landed nearby in 1840, tried to farm, and then abandoned it by January 1841.

Riccarton House is a really cool spot. It was commissioned around 1855 by Jane Deans. The Deans brothers, John and William, were among the second group of European settlers in 1843, and they named this area Riccarton after their parish back in Ayrshire, Scotland. They even named the River Avon after a river in Lanarkshire. Their original cottage is still on the grounds, though it’s been moved twice. Now, Riccarton House is a restaurant and function center, and they do tours.

Right next to Riccarton House is Riccarton Bush, also known as Deans Bush or Pūtaringamotu. The Māori name means 'the place of an echo' or 'the severed ear,' which is a metaphor for a bush isolated from the rest. This place is pretty special because it’s one of only four remnants of the original forest that covered the Canterbury plains, having survived the huge fires from the moa hunter period. It's dominated by kahikatea trees. The Deans brothers actually signed an agreement in 1848 to protect about 22 hectares of this forest. By 1914, the remaining 6.4 hectares were formally protected by the Riccarton Bush Act. They’ve even put up a predator-proof fence, hoping to reintroduce kiwi here! It's also a significant spot for entomology, with many native insects first collected and named from here, including the bag moth Mallobathra metrosema, which is only known to exist in Riccarton Bush.

Not far from here, on Riccarton Road, is Antonio Hall. It used to be described as one of the finest properties in Christchurch, with 279 rooms, but it's really fallen into disrepair. In 2019, a fire started by a 14-year-old destroyed 30% of it, which is a shame, especially since it's a Category II listed heritage building.

And just to mention, the Al Noor Mosque on Deans Avenue was sadly the site of a tragic mass shooting on March 15, 2019.

Riccarton is home to Westfield Riccarton, which is one of New Zealand's largest shopping malls, first opened in 1965. It’s had a lot of redevelopments, with the most recent in 2009 adding a second floor. The economy here really revolves around this mall and the busy retail stretch on Riccarton Road.